Share:


What determines employee procrastination and multitasking in the workplace: personal qualities or mismanagement?

    Jolita Vveinhardt   Affiliation
    ; Włodzimierz Sroka   Affiliation

Abstract

The nature of procrastination is usually analysed from the angle of the psychological mechanism, in the aspects of demotivating factors; however, there are not many studies emphasizing procrastination provoked by mismanagement. A similar situation is also observed with regard to multitasking analysed in this article, which is recorded at work not because employees naturally like to multitask but because they have no other way out. The purpose of this article is to present the results of the empirical study revealing the nature of procrastination and multitasking in the workplace. The study involved 995 employees of Polish (N = 500) and Lithuanian (N = 495) private sector organizations. It has been found that a share of employees are forced to become procrastinators and multitaskers due to management flaws. In addition, procrastination and multitasking are related by medium strength statistical relationships, regardless of the country. The value of the research is presupposed by the fact that it presents new and original data showing the situation of multitasking and procrastination in Lithuanian and Polish organizations. These results improve the literature on procrastination by providing additional confirmatory evidence on how more flexible work organization can serve for better understanding of causes of multitasking and procrastination.


First published online 28 February 2022

Keyword : procrastination in the workplace, multitasking in the workplace, personal characteristics, personal qualities, private sector, Poland, Lithuania

How to Cite
Vveinhardt, J., & Sroka, W. (2022). What determines employee procrastination and multitasking in the workplace: personal qualities or mismanagement?. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 23(3), 532–550. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2022.16178
Published in Issue
May 12, 2022
Abstract Views
3216
PDF Downloads
2369
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Abramowski, A. (2014). Is it time for “active” procrastination? The Psychologist, 27(3), 180–182.

Bowman, L. L., Levine, L. E., Wait, B. M., & Gendron, M. (2010). Can students really multitask? An experimental study of instant messaging while reading. Computer and Education, 54(4), 927–931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.024

Carrier, L. M., Rosen, L. D., Cheever, N. A., & Lim, A. F. (2015). Causes, effects, and practicalities of everyday multitasking. Developmental Review, 35, 64–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2014.12.005

Chauhan, R. S., MacDougall, A. E., Buckley, M. R., Howe, D. C., Crisostomo, M. E., & Zeni, T. (2020). Better late than early? Reviewing procrastination in organizations. Management Research Review, 43(10), 1289–1308. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-09-2019-0413

Chen, Z., Liu, P., Zhang, C., & Feng, T. (2020). Brain morphological dynamics of procrastination: The crucial role of the self-control, emotional, and episodic prospection network. Cerebral Cortex, 30(5), 2834–2853. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhz278

Choi, J. N., & Moran, S. V. (2009). Why not procrastinate? Development and validation of a new active procrastination scale. Journal of Social Psychology, 149(2), 195–212. https://doi.org/10.3200/SOCP.149.2.195-212

Chu, A. H. C., & Choi, J. N. (2005). Rethinking procrastination: positive effects of “active” procrastination behaviour on attitudes and performance. Journal of Social Psychology, 145(3), 245–264. https://doi.org/10.3200/SOCP.145.3.245-264

Clapp, W. C., Rubens, M. T., Sabharwal, J., & Gazzaley, A. (2011). Deficit in switching between functional brain networks underlies the impact of multitasking on working memory in older adults. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(17), 7212–7217. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1015297108

Codina, N., Castillo, I., Pestana, J. V., & Balaguer, I. (2020). Preventing procrastination behaviours: Teaching styles and competence in university students. Sustainability, 12(6), 2448. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062448

Codina, N., Valenzuela, R., Pestana, J. V., & González-Conde, J. (2018). Relations between student procrastination and teaching styles: Autonomy-supportive and controlling. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 809. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00809

Courage, M. L., Bakhtiar, A., Fitzpatrick, C., Kenny, S., & Brandeau, K. (2015). Growing up multitasking: The costs and benefits for cognitive development. Developmental Review, 35, 5–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2014.12.002

Crews, D. E., & Russ, M. J. (2020). The impact of individual differences on multitasking ability. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 69(6), 1301–1319. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-04-2019-0191

Darlow, V., Norvilitis, J. M., & Schuetze, P. (2017). The Relationship between helicopter parenting and adjustment to college. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26, 2291–2298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0751-3

Day, V., Mensink, D., & O’Sullivan, M. (2000). Patterns of Academic Procrastination. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 30(2), 120–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2000.10850090

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of Research in Personality, 19(2), 109–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(85)90023-6

Doty, D. H., Wooldridge, B. R., Astakhova, M., Fagan, M. H., Marinina, M. G., Caldas, M. P., & Tunçalp, D. (2020). Passion as an excuse to procrastinate: A cross-cultural examination of the relationships between Obsessive Internet passion and procrastination. Computers in Human Behavior, 102, 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.08.014

Endsley, M. R. (1995). Toward a theory of situation awareness in dynamic systems. Human Factors, 37(1), 32–64. https://doi.org/10.1518/001872095779049543

Fernie, B. A., Bharucha, Z., Nikčević, A. V., & Spada, M. M. (2017). The unintentional procrastination scale. Journal of Rational – Emotive and Cognitive – Behavior Therapy, 35(2), 136–149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-016-0247-x

Ferrari, J. R., Díaz-Morales, J. F., O’Callaghan, J., Díaz, K., & Argumedo, D. (2007). Frequent behavioral delay tendencies by adults: International prevalence rates of chronic procrastination. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 38(4), 458–464. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022107302314

Ferrari, J. R., Roster, C. A., Crum, K. P., & Pardo, M. A. (2018). Procrastinators and clutter: An ecological view of living with excessive “stuff.” Current Psychology, 37(2), 441–444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9682-9

Gesteland, R. R. (1999). Cross-cultural business behavior. Marketing, negotiating and managing across cultures. Copenhagen Business School Press.

Goes, P. B., Ilk, N., Lin, M., & Zhao, J. L. (2017). When more is less: Field evidence on unintended consequences of multitasking. Management Science, 64(7), 3033–3054. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2763

Gorsoshit, M. (2018). Academic procrastination and academic performance: An initial basis for intervention. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 46(2), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2016.1198157

Grunschel, C., Patrzek, J., & Fries, S. (2013). Exploring reasons and consequences of academic procrastination: An interview study. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28, 841–861. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-012-0143-4

Grunschel, C., Schwinger, M., Steinmayr, R., & Fries, S. (2016). Effects of using motivational regulation strategies on students’ academic procrastination, academic performance, and well-being. Learning and Individual Differences, 49, 162–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.06.008

Gupta, R., Hershey, D. A., & Gaur, J. (2012). Time perspective and procrastination in the workplace: An empirical investigation. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 31(2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-012-9136-3

Haghbin, M., McCaffrey, A., & Pychyl, T. A. (2012). The complexity of the relation between fear of failure and procrastination. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 30(4), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-012-0153-9

Hall, E. (1983). The dance of life. Other dimensions of time. Anchor Press.

Hall, E. T. (1959). The silent language. Doubleday.

Hen, M. (2018). Causes for procrastination in a unique educational workplace. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 46(3), 215–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2018.1470144

Hen, M., Goroshit, M., & Viengarten, S. (2021). How decisional and general procrastination relate to procrastination at work: An investigation of office and non-office workers. Personality and Individual Differences, 172, 110581. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110581

Hong, J-C., Hwang, M.-Y., Kuo, Y.-C., & Hsu, W.-Y. (2015). Parental monitoring and helicopter parenting relevant to vocational student’s procrastination and self-regulated learning. Learning and Individual Differences, 42, 139–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2015.08.003

Kapadia, C., & Melwani, S. (2021). More tasks, more ideas: The positive spillover effects of multitasking on subsequent creativity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(4), 542–559. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000506

Kim, K. R., & Seo, E. H. (2015). The relationship between procrastination and academic performance: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 82, 26–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.038

Kirchberg, D. M., Roe, R. A., & van Eerde, W. (2015). Polychronicity and multitasking: A diary study at work. Human Performance, 28(2), 112–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2014.976706

Klingsieck, K. B. (2013). Procrastination. When good things don’t come to those who wait. European Psychologist, 18(1), 24–34. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000138

König, C. J., & Waller, M. J. (2010). Time for reflection: A critical examination of polychronicity. Human Performance, 23(2), 173–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959281003621703

König, C. J., Overarcher, L., & Kleinmann, M. (2010). Personal and situational determinants of multitasking at work. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 9(2), 99–103. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000008

Košíková, M., Loumová, V., Kovaľová, J., Vašaničová, P., & Bondarenko, V. M. (2020). A cross-culture study of academic procrastination and using effective time management. Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences, 28(2), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.3311/PPso.13348

Kristanto, J., & Abraham, J. (2016). Decisional procrastination: The role of courage, media multitasking and planning fallacy. In European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 663–675). Future Academy. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2016.11.69

Lay, C. (1986). At last, my research article on procrastination. Journal of Research in Personality, 20(4), 474–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-6566(86)90127-3

Li, X., Buxton, O. M., Kim, Y., Haneuse, S., & Kawachi, I. (2020). Do procrastinators get worse sleep? Cross-sectional study of US adolescents and young adults. SSM – Population Health, 10, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100518

Lindquist, J. D., & Kaufman-Scarborough, C. (2007). The polychronic-monochronic tendency model: PMTS scale development and validation. Time & Society, 16(2–3), 253–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0961463X07080270

Lui, K., & Wong, A. (2012). Does media multitasking always hurt? A positive correlation between multitasking and multisensory integration. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 19, 647–653. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-012-0245-7

Manthei, K., & Sliwka, D. (2013). Multitasking and the benefits of objective performance measurement – evidence from a field experiment. Annual Conference: Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order. Duesseldorf.

Mattarelli, E., Bertolotti, F., & Incerti, V. (2015). The interplay between organizational polychronicity, multitasking behaviors and organizational identification: A mixed-methods study in knowledge intensive organizations. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 79, 6–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2015.02.002

Metin, U. B., Peeters, M. C. W., & Taris, T. W. (2018). Correlates of procrastination and performance at work: The role of having “good fit”. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 46(3), 228–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2018.1470187

Metin, U. B., Taris, T., W., & Peeters, M. C. W. (2016). Measuring procrastination at work and its associated workplace aspects. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 254–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.006

Nguyen, B., Steel, P., & Ferrari, J. R. (2013). Procrastination’s impact in the workplace and the workplace’s impact on procrastination. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 21(4), 388–399. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12048

Nijboer, M., Borst, J., van Rijn, H., & Taatgen, N. (2014). Single-task fMRI overlap predicts concurrent multitasking interference. NeuroImage, 100, 60–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.05.082

Ong, Y., & Gupta, A. (2016). Evolutionary multitasking: a computer science view of cognitive multitasking. Cognitive Computation, 8, 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12559-016-9395-7

Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, 106(37), 15583–15587. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0903620106

Patrzek, J., Grunschel, C., & Fries, S. (2012). Academic procrastination: The perspective of university counsellors. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 34(3), 185–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-012-9150-z

Plass, J. L., & Kalyuga, S. (2019). Four ways of considering emotion in cognitive load theory. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 339–359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09473-5

Pollard, M. A., & Courage, M. L. (2017). Working memory capacity predicts effective multitasking. Computers in Human Behavior, 76, 450–462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.08.008

Poposki, E. M., & Oswald, F. L. (2010). The multitasking preference inventory: Toward an improved measure of individual differences in polychronicity. Human Performance, 23(3), 247–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2010.487843

Pychyl, T. A., & Flett, G. L. (2012). Procrastination and self-regulatory failure: An introduction to the special issue. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 30(4), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-012-0149-5

Reinecke, L., Meier, A., Beutel, M. E., Schemer, Ch., Stark, B., Wölfling, K., & Müller, K. W. (2018). The relationship between trait procrastination, internet use, and psychological functioning: Results from a community sample of German adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00913

Rekart, J. L. (2011). Taking on multitasking. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(4), 60–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171109300415

Rosen, C. (2008). The myth of multitasking. The New Atlantis: A Journal of Technology & Society, 20, 105–110.

Roster, C. A., & Ferrari, J. R. (2020). Time is on my side – or is it? Assessing how perceived control of time and procrastination influence emotional exhaustion on the job. Behavioral Sciences, 10(6), 98. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs10060098

Sanbonmatsu, D. M., Strayer, D. L., Medeiros-Ward, N., & Watson, J. M. (2013). Who multi-tasks and why? multi-tasking ability, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. PLOS ONE, 8(1), e54402. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0054402

Sanderson, K. R. (2012). Time orientation in organizations. Polychronicity and Multitasking [PhD thesis]. Florida International University, Miami. https://doi.org/10.25148/etd.FI12112701

Schouwenburg, H. C. (2004). Procrastination in academic settings: General introduction. In H. C Schouwenburg, C. H. Lay, T. A. Pychyl, & J. R. Ferrari (Eds.), Counseling the procrastinator in academic settings (pp. 3–17). American Psychology Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10808-000

Sehrish, J., & Zubair, A. (2020). Impact of polychronicity on work-related quality of life among bank employees: Moderating role of time management. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 35(2), 511–528. https://doi.org/10.33824/PJPR.2020.35.2.22

Sirois, F. M. (2016). Introduction: conceptualizing the relations of procrastination to health and well-being. In F. M. Sirois & T. Pychyl (Eds.), Procrastination, health, and well-being (pp. 3–20). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802862-9.00001-3

Sparrow, B., Liu, J., & Wegner, D. M. (2011). Google effects on memory: Cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips. Science, 333(6043), 776–778. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1207745

Stead, R., Shanahan, M. J., & Neufeld, R. W. J. (2010). “I’ll go to therapy, eventually”: Procrastination, stress and mental health. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(3), 175–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.03.028

Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65

Steel, P. (2010). Arousal, avoidant and decisional procrastinators: Do they exist? Personality and Individual Differences, 48(8), 926–934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.025

Steel, P., & Ferrari, J. (2013). Sex, education and procrastination: An epidemiological study of procrastinators’ characteristics from a global sample. European Journal of Personality, 27(1), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.1851

Steel, P., & Klingsieck, K. B. (2016). Academic procrastination: Psychological antecedents revisited. Australian Psychologist, 51(1), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12173

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/0364-0213(88)90023-7

Szameitat, A. J., & Hayati, M. (2019). Gender differences in polychronicity. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 597. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00597

van Eerde, W. (2003). A meta-analytically derived nomological network of procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(6), 1401–1419. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(02)00358-6

Zacks, S., & Hen, M. (2018). Academic interventions for academic procrastination: A review of the literature. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 46(2), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2016.1198154

Zhang, S., Liu, P., & Feng, T. (2019). To do it now or later: The cognitive mechanisms and neural substrates underlying procrastination. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science, 10(4), e1492. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1492